Amalgam separators are well known to those skilled in the art. Reference may be had, e.g., to Canadian patent application CA 2442513. The Abstract of this Canadian patent application describes “An amalgam separation and collection apparatus for the collecting and separation of amalgam in a dental vacuum waste stream . . . ” The amalgam separator unit described in Canadian patent application CA 2442513 was not sufficiently efficient. After such Canadian patent application was filed (on Sep. 23, 2003), an amalgam separator was designed and sold based, in part, upon the technology of such patent application. The separator was sold by Hygenitek Inc., Box 8, Suite 9, Trepassey, Newfoundland, Canada A0A4B0, as model “ARU-10.” This “ARU-10” unit comprised a sedimentation chamber and filter media, wherein such filter media was comprised of pelletelized carbon and ionic resin, and wherein said ionic resin was present at a concentration of about 10 weight percent; about 30 ounces of such filter media were present in the device.
Various governmental authorities, such as, e.g., New York State and the State of Rhode Island, have adopted legislation that mandates the use of dental amalgam separation equipment by dentists in such states. In, e.g., New York State, the dental amalgam separation equipment must remove at least 99 weight percent of dental amalgam from the dental waste water flow, at the standard operating flow rate used by the dentist(s).
The legislation mandating the use of such dental amalgam separation equipment is relatively recent, and it has imposed separation standards that are stricter than those previously imposed. The ARU-10 unit was capable of meeting these new, stricter standards; however, such unit was not reliable and is currently not being manufactured.
One of the reasons for the stricter separation standards is that mercury can cause serious health problems. The United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and United States Environmental Protection Agency have issued a joint alert to the public regarding the hazards of mercury to the general public. Mercury can cause serious health problems, especially in children and fetuses. Health effects can result from short-term or long-term exposure. Exposure can cause harm before symptoms arise. When symptoms do arise, health problems can include tremors, changes in vision or hearing, insomnia, weakness, difficulty with memory, headache, irritability, shyness and nervousness. In young children, exposure to metallic mercury can damage the central nervous system. Long-term mercury exposure can cause children to have trouble learning in school.
Exposure to metallic mercury occurs primarily from breathing contaminated air. Other forms of mercury (e.g., methyl mercury compounds) can be absorbed by eating food (like fish), drinking water, and from skin contact.
Because of the health dangers presented by mercury in its many forms, more and more governmental jurisdictions are requiring that dentists have equipment adapted to remove at least 99 weight percent of the dental amalgam from the dental waste water flow.
It is an object of this invention to provide an amalgam separator that it is capable of removing at least 99 weight percent of the dental amalgam from the dental waste water flow and that, additionally, is durably efficient for a period of at least about 1 year. It is another object of this invention to provide an amalgam separator that is durably efficient for a period of at least about 2 years. It is yet another object of this invention to provide an amalgam separator that is durably efficient for a period of at least 11 months.